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This Brockway was Listed for sale by Underdog on Tow411 in June of 2010:
Does anyone know where it is today?
1959 Brockway. Gas engine, runs well. - 5-Speed Transmission with 2-Speed Rear. Holmes 525 Boom - Air Brakes. - Body in good shape, surface rust only. Was Priced at $5,000 in 2010.
silverhawk said:
That is the same model Holmes I started with in 1964, only my truck was a E40 Studebaker! Yea, I said Studebaker. 1959 with a 289 V-8, 4 speed with a 2 speed rear end. 900x20 tires, but hydraulic brakes. I still remember the welder who put it all together at the factory signed his name on the right rear inner wheel well of the wrecker body. "Buck" signed his work.
Some of the things we did with it back then I would want to talk about today.

This Brockway was Listed for sale by Underdog on Tow411 in 2009:
Where is it today?
1977 Brockway Model K761T - 8V71 Detroit Engine, 13 Speed Roadranger Trans. 54,761 Miles, Totally Original, No Rust. In Excellent Mechanical Condition.
Fentron Model F-30 - Fully Hydraulic 30 Ton - Hydraulically extendable Booms. Hate to sell it, but need the room for other projects. Winter's coming Priced at $17,000.
vulcanuk said:
nice looking truck and its in my colours, dollar exchange rate makes it to expensive for me here, hope you find good home for her.
Larry Lange said:
I Hope it ends up somewhere nice!
FMS Mike said:
I love this truck so much!
underdog said:
it went to a collector in Mass. It found another good home.
Stay Safe, Rich.
Larry Lange said:
Yes I know, I happened to be driving by your place the night it before it was being delivered. I saw someone was working n it......pulling an axle out...lol. I stopped and talked with your mechanic for a bit, i think his name was Kevin? Nice guy. take care!
Teds72 said:
who in mass maybe ill get to see this beautiful truck in person

Topic Originally Created on Tow411 by underdog in 2008:
This ford was working a recovery at night with Jony's Brockway. My Uncle Bob Foy was in the cab holding his foot on the brakes, when another truck crashed into the old Ford. He walked away without a scratch. They finished the recovery with the Brockway and then towed the Ford back to the Carlstadt garage. The Owner Malcolm Lite knew nothing of the accident until he showed up to work the next morning!
Da Wash Boss said:
WOW, I am glad your uncle was not hurt, but what a way to start your monday morning. Did they save the body or scrap the whole truck? Was a good looking truck before the crash. Happy Holidays to everyone. Thanks for sharing Rich, I am glad to see new life in this room.
Danny Cassello - TRPC "EST 1963" - East Hartford, CT

Topic was originally created by Mark Redman on Tow411 in June of 2007:
It's been awhile since I've posted anything here. Several months ago we had some Oshkosh/Silent Hoist discussions with shots of these trucks in use by various towing companies. Here's a shot of one of these trucks doing what it was initially intended to do when in use by the US Navy. This was taken at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, NJ in the late 1950's or early 1960's. Standing by is an old Marmon-Herrington MB-1 crash truck and a couple of smaller MB-2 rigs.
Stay safe, everyone,
Da Wash Boss said:
SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Very nice Mark,,,, those are some great machines. Thanks for posting.
Danny Cassello - TRPC - East Hartford, CT
hpgtowing said:
Nice shot Mark..... This is the first time I 've seen one doing what they were intended for..... Thanks. Steve

Topic Originally Created on Tow411 in July of 2007:
North Carolina Highway Patrol Dispatched us to the ramp off of I-85 South to the I-77 South bound ramp last week to an overturned flatbed truck, that had been loaded with two aluminum coils, 26,000 lbs each - both coils of course were on the ground - we flipped the truck and trailer back over - and used our rotator to load one coil back on the damaged trailer, but because of extensive damage to the trailer, and the rush to clear the ramp, we loaded the second coil on the back of the rotator to take to the customer that was only about a mile or so from the wreck, the whole job was done in less than three hours.
Got To Really Love Those Quick & Easy Job's!
By the way.. We Got Paid the Same Day! ~ ~ HUNTER BOYZ ~ When Second Best Just Won't Do!
kw5030 said:
I would have to say those are some great shots, from the start to end. Did the tator lift the ass end of the trailer?
xcessiveforce52 said:
good team effort,trucks look good.....just a question you mentioned total job 3 hrs, was that from disp. to drop at cust. or arrival at scene up to road cleared? cause down here they would probably hang us from our boom if we were not in and out in an hour.....
foxtow82 said:
Very nice job from beginning to end! Trucks look very sharp. Thanks for sharing,
JARED
Ed Barker said:
Good job,I think that was a reasonable time frame,nice equipment,,we never lift a coil without blocks in the line,,,I personally think you were pushing your luck,,,just my opinion,,,looks like you all stayed right on the ball and gotter done,,,,Xcessiveforce you don't have to worry about me working down your way,that kind of pressure would take the fun out of it,,,but my hats off to you.Our law enforcement is pretty reasonable within reason ,,,,but I'm sure the traffic issue is totally different from here to there.Take care,Ed
BigWheelRecovery said:
Nice job guys i hope you have a 4 hour min and i like the big jerr-dan looks sharp
Candle1 said:
great team effort .nice job with the pictures
linda and jim of schliers towing
glenn27 said:
Nice work--and good looking equipement....
One observation, please--in two of your pics about halfway through the string--I noticed your snatch blocks hooked to the stiff legs, with the hook "UP". Years ago--we were taught in both Bill Jackson's and Ross Kinman's recovery classes. This was supposidly , in case of breakage, the force would be directed downward toward the ground, not up in the air.They stressed to have the hook openings upward. Is that just "old school thinking'?
Original member creating topic said:
Nice work--and good looking equipment.... One observation, please--in two of your pics about halfway through the string--I noticed your snatch blocks hooked to the stiff legs, with the hook "UP". Years ago--we were taught in both Bill Jackson's and Ross Kinman's recovery classes. This was supposidly , in case of breakage, the force would be directed downward toward the ground, not up in the air.They stressed to have the hook openings upward. Is that just "old school thinking'?
wstowing11 wrote:
Are those two Jerr-Dans there ?
Original member creating topic said:
The two 50 ton trucks are Jerr-Dan - the tator we have is a Century..
Jerrys Road Service said:
Yes sir there stating hooks UP.not down bro i was always tought as well hook openings UP.also we always chain axel up the frame rail and NEVER single line 26k LOL.use blocks bro were not bashing at all sir just trying to help and not see a accident bro.thats why we bother to even say Sh*t so there wont be problems no personal fellings here were all one BIG happy family.
wstowing11 said:
Is that a 60 ton Jerr-Dan and a 50 ton Jerr-Dan , along with the Miller rotator ??
Original member creating topic said:
The tator is a 60 ton, it is a Century, the two Jerr-Dan trucks are both 50 ton trucks.
Brian Coleman said:
You have some great trucks and the job is done but that is some of the most dangerous rigging I have ever seen in my near 30 years of hd. towing.
The Towboss said:
We never place cargo ( espically coils OR steel products ) back on the trailer it came off of, explain to the judge how you determined that that trailer was safe after being parked on its side and you took the liabilty to put the load back on it, and I know it's only to get back to the YARD. Get some steel chokers to lift your coils with, much safer, no link damage to chain, and they wont slide. Opinions are like A** holes, we all got 'em.
Don't tell me NO, and never say it "CAN'T be done", cause I'll prove you wrong !!! www.waffco.net
leroy hedrick said:
nice trucks quick recovery nice to have big iron but i do it with a old 750 and a 650 i just use more tools in the ole' toolbox.
ken fondren said:
hunter i have a question ????? how do you like those j/d 50 ton????
The boss has been having dinners with j/d corp looking at getting 2 of them 50s.
Hopefully I am next in line for one of them, any feed back would be really nice .
Original member creating topic said:
We like them very well, their really nice, I'm not sure you want to know, but I'll say this, as far as I'm concerned their the best we have, my second choice is Century, but Jerr-Dann does make the best wrecker body, "note : my opinion"
timstruckservice said:
The Tip of the Hook Should be Pointing upward, So that in the event the tip break's off ....... The Force of the Snatch Block Goes downward into the Ground instead of up in the air & Hurting someone or something. I too Wondered about where the Chain Hook up on the Steer axle was at ..... I hook a chain around the Frame - Up & over the steering link arm for the Tie Rod end & then hook a sister chain around the I-Beam so I get as high as possible for pulling down on the axle ! Also, I wonder why not use the Rotater to bring the Trailer over instead of Twisting it over from the Tractor's weight ???? If you got it there why not use it ???? It looked like the Chain holding the Coil needed a second one run through there Just In Case something happened .... Better to be safe than Sorry !...........Nice Pictures & Very Nice looking Trucks....TIM
Heavytowman12 said:
Like those type jobs. Upright it, lift them up, load them, then tow it away. Beat's a overturned van trailer that has to be off loaded any day. Do you very many on that ramp.
Nice work men!
Original member creating topic said:
Yes we do, that I-85 South to I-77 South bound ramp has claimed more than it's fair share of trucks, car's, motorhomes, horse trailers, just name it, there has for the longest been a lot of overturns on that ramp we don't have a rotaition here in Charlotte, we have zones, there are four zone's and four companies that handle each area "zone" around Mecklenburg County, that ramp there has been in our zone for as long as I've worked for Hunter and that would be since 1996, the worst one I can remember has been several years ago, but we worked one on that ramp one day that had a load of truck batteries, and of course they were all over the ground out there, so yes, that one took a while to clean up, those things are HEAVY, and after picking them all up, by hand, each and every one of them, talk about being sore.. I never want to see one like that again.

Topic Originally Posted on Tow411 in April of 2007:
Recieved a call from the NYS Thruway Authority for a rolled T/T blocking lanes and a 35,000 inget that had seperated from the trailer. The inget went through the guardrail and Fence it came to rest 150 yards away, in a Field down an embankment.
We rigged the rotator w/ 4 lines (ours has 5 winches), we pulled the unit sideways into the median to open the road. Now with traffic free flowing on both sides of us we rigged for uprighting. We hooked our holmes 1801 to the front of the tractor, just to start the curl, because the frame was so twisted. We then rolled w/tator and prepared unit for towing back to our facility on wrecker.
While that was going on the tator and our 50 ton lowboy attended to the inget in the field, loaded and transport back to our facility. This is why the tator is a perfect piece of equipment for us. We don't get a lot of room or lanes to work with. Mike, Justin, Joey, Dwight and me helped make this recovery a success in a very quick time.
Wade200 said:
I would like to see some pictures of that rotator. Is it custom built? Specs, etc.
And nice job on the recovery!Daniel Wade
Tony's Towing, Inc.
Daniel Wade
Ed Barker said:
Is that the rotator that Scooby was working on??????
It sure looks like a nice unit would like to see some pictures of that unit.
Thanks,Ed
wstowing11 said:
What the hell, I am going to ask for pics of the tator too !!!!!
Scooby said:
looks good, glad to see it out there working
glad to see my welds are holding...lol

Topic Created by jmf889 on Tow411 in November of 2013:
Hi guys I'm fairly new to heavy duty been doing it about a year now but have been in towing since i was born.
The other night i had a 06 Volvo vnl tractor on the side of the highway first time dealing with a Volvo figured out that the front axle is different than any other truck used my wider forks that was easy then it was onto taking the drive shaft out my road service mechanic was already out there trying to fix the guy until i got there he stripped out the drive shaft bolts so taking that out wasn't going to work so i said ok ill pull the axle went to pull the axle which i've only recently started doing and found out that's it much easier than pulling the shaft and ive only ever needed a 15/16 socket well that didn't fit and i didn't have the socket that ft it so i let the truck run flipped it in high range and towed it back to our shop about 15-20 miles and didn't go over 45mph truck was fine when i got it back to the shop thank god. So my question is what are the other common axle bolt socket sizes i need so i don't get stuck like this and also what is the best axle to pull two different people have told me two different things my boss said pull the right rear our other heavy guy said pull the left front so im confused on that?
also something else that i was wondering if anyone else knows about i just got brand new BA axle straps i tighten them as much as i possibly can i make sure the ratchet is in the locked position and they constantly come loose on me its getting very frustrating anyone else have this problem??
SF Towing said:
You should carry a full socket set in your truck. I carry 3/8-1 5/16" in 1/2" Deep Impact and 10mm-32mm in 1/2" Metric. Never ever run a truck while towing it, you are just asking for trouble. If I remember correctly those Volvos are 1"(24mm) or 27mm for the axles. The front axle is different because it was air ride.
Unknown member said:
Volvos are generally 1-1/8 or so Ive found. Some people will tell you leaving it running is fine. Its all up to you and what you want to risk. Also youll need a cover with bigger holes for the studs for those.
Unknown member said:
Majority of trucks these days are 15/16" or 1 1/16" nuts on axle studs and 3/8", 1/2", and 12mm 12 pt bolts on drive shafts. I always keep fulls sets of everything in my truck in 1/2" and 3/8" drive. But my small toolbox that I grab for removing driveline and tapping into air system, only has those 5 sockets in it. -mcr
nybulldog said:
why didn't you tow it from the back? running the truck while towing is asking for lots of trouble. hose brakes on oil or water and you don't notice good by motor. trans jumps into gear going down the road and you could be needing a tow i keep every size tool ratchet from 1/4 up to 3/4 with every socket. the 3/4 not as many sockets but if i need to pull a tire off i can.
Queensway Tire said:
On the BA axle straps, what forks are you using? I would bet your forks don't fit the axle tight, and that is why the straps come loose. I have a set of front axle forks that fit very tight on the axle, and the straps never come loose. At the same time, I only use the straps on empty or very light trucks, I use chains on tractor trailer combos and heavier units.
teddy22 said:
Be careful if it was air ride front axle, you could do damage on the axle not using the rught forks or putting in wrong position!
rym611 said:
my ba axle straps came loose until they broke in. they like to stretch when new. I would hook go a couple miles, pull over and tighten them up. When they were new I was doing this alot. Now that they are broke in I don't have an issue with them loosening up anymore.
glnstwng said:
make sure you're not pulling all the slack out before ratcheting. the strap must contact itself on the ratchet so that the fibers can bite into each other, if not it will slip out of the ratchet.
Giddyup said:
gln is right. You need to have 2 wraps before it is tight. A lot of drivers pull the strap really tight and then ratchet tight. It will always come loose that way. I pull it tight, back it off so I have 2 wraps and ratchet it up and can go 300 miles and they won't come loose, new or old straps.
https://www.facebook.com/Towingincanada
tteck151 said:
When buying drive line and axle nut sockets , very important to buy top of the line brand and duplicate putting your second set in cab away from others . Nothing worse than 2 am 60 miles out and you break or it fly's off impact into tall grass . That one time will pay for second set .
Vernon75 said:
Very true… I learned that the hard way.
jmf889 said:
Thanks guys sorry i haven't replied been crazy busy at work did 90 hours last week..... one more question maybe someone can help me out with ... i bought the new snap on 18v lithium ion 1/2" impact gun cordless its great i love it the gun is an animal but im noticing it might be to powerful it keeps stripping out drive shaft bolts im using craftsman 12 pt sockets should i spend the money and get snap on sockets im thinking maybe they will bite better?? or is the gun to powerful?
SF Towing said:
the gun isn't too powerful, it's the sockets. I have the same gun. Get a set of quality 12 point impact sockets, whether it's sunex, mac, snap on.
Rod Midkiff said:
my gun will not break drive line bolts lose. still have to break them lose by hand. I like the gun.. just wish It had enough umpth..
I've also worn out three snap on 1/2 inch drive line socket's out. (kinda surprised I've worn so many out in a few years of use)
I've also used craftsman sockets on it.. I usually end up with 2 halves of a 1/2 inch socket on the 1st or 2nd use. (good reason to not put your hand on the socket when you pull the trigger).
stay safe
Rod
JUSTFISHING said:
Little extra but I paint and repaint my black snapon sockets yellow and orange makes them easier to see.
svcmgrnow said:
Clean out the inside of your 12 point sockets regularly too, especially if you do a lot of construction or refuse trucks. Grease tends to pack up in there and this prevents the socket from seating properly on the bolt head, leading to stripped driveline bolts and prematurely worn out sockets. Don't ask me how I know this. lol
Tow Daddy said:
I use the same gun and love it. have learned to only use quality sockets (I use snap on) and haven't broke any of them but they will wear out and need replaced like others said. rarely find a bolt it won't break loose.
towing4u said:
One nice trick to use is the new wobble extensions, they allow the socket to move slightly when trying to remove a driveshaft that has a pitch to it. I usually use the small extension and a snap on socket on my snap on gun. If you have access, grab a couple of easy outs for 3/8, 1/2. It usually ends up being a 7/16 and 9/16 tapered socket easy out and that will remove the stripped out bolts when you have one that wont budge. It happens on Volvo's to me after it has been towed or had the driveshaft out before and someone over tightened them when they reinstalled.
JUSTFISHING said:
I use a tool tote , you know the ones with the handel in the middle and tray each side get a quality one that will last.
I always carry and use a hand wire brush on the bolt heads before trying to loosen , have my go to sockets painted diffrent
colors for easy I.D . Use snap on worth the price and garranteed , rep has replaced mine a couple times no charge just because
they were getting worn on edge. If you need an extension use the extended snapon socket when you can , you loose tourqe
whenever you use a standard extension . I also have screw driver , 9/16 wrench and socket w/ rachet for the bolt cap style.
Pry bar and big hammer , those are my go to tools , tiger tool a must when needed in the truck till needed to big for the tote.
Don't forget to put your tote back in your truck when done , don't forget it and run over it . Don't ask how I know this!
Terry

Topic Originally Created by Keen1051 said:
2014 Bentley Convertible V12, brand new, owner bought it, had me haul home, didn't want to drive it. $230,000
Kells Towing said:
Keen 1051 the one you towed will probably end up the same way as the one we towed yesterday, 1996 Bentley Azure with 21000km maybe after you buy these cars you can't drive them, only tow them, ours had a leak in the hydraulic roof system, customer wanted it towed, instead of driving it to the dealer. Tj
BlackAutoload said:
Amazing how much cash folks can **** away...
Looks a like a toyota solara with a better grill to me.
someotherplace said:
Yeah, I can think of a lot better cars I could buy with that money. Or a lot of cars I could buy with that money, instead of just one car!
But the point stands, do you have enough coverage? I wonder what our on-hook is with my current employer. Last time it was my job to know these things, TX only requires 50K on-hook. I don't think it would be difficult to cause 50K+ damage to a car like that...
Richard
cptowman said:
Had to tow one back to dealer, before approval I had to provide $300,000 insurance cert.

Topic Created by LSChicago in March of 2014:
I towed this 69 Chevelle SS for a friend. It's a 32,000 mile car, but now has a 1,000HP supercharged big block. It is one of about 200 with factory headlight washers. Here it's going for it's first repaint.
http://www.LEDandSafety.com 2938 N. River Rd. River Grove, IL. 60171 Phone 708.695.5079 Cell 773.727.2767
Blalocktow said:
Nice Chevelle . How is the 650 doing?
Jef said:
My driveway is missing that car, I'll pay for a secondary tow for you to bring it up here
Nice tow
LSChicago said:
So far very good! My only complaint is the headlights. I'm waiting fot the Maxxima replacements which should be coming within a week or so. I put LED replacements in my pickup, and now I can't believe how dim the factory 650 lights are. Hopefully this week I'll get the driving lights installed.
Blalocktow said:
I put HIDs in mine the work pretty good not as good as the lights in my 550 thu.
LSChicago said:
About the same as the F550/V10. Thanks largely to the extra trans gear.
towman33 said:
Nice SS, how is the fuel mileage on the 650 ? never seen one with the v 10.

Topic originally created by tntower in April of 2014:
Monday 4/21/2014, we took Steve Sedberry's (buddystator) 1965 Ford Mustang to Discovery Park of America in Union City, TN to be placed on exhibit. This car was originally purchased by his great uncle brand new. Before they would take car for on loan for exhibit, all gas had to be drained and battery removed. Once unloaded into building, the car was placed on gojacks to move into place in museum. W
you can check out the museum and see all it has to offer at http://www.discoveryparkofamerica.com/

Topic Originally created by Keen1051 in September of 2013:
The pictures really don't do it justice, it looked like it came off the showroom floor!
Greenway Towing said:
Looks like an amazing machine and built like a tractor.
localtowee said:
Wow. Tidy old girl indeed.
Jef said:
Took me a minute to figure out how your 4pt system works, but seems secure to me.
Nice tow.
Dualie said:
actually to say that one is showroom isn't doing it justice. They were never that nice from the factory!

Topic Created by towman33 in December of 2013:
this car is on it's way to auction after a stop at the detail shop
blalocktow said:
What no flames?
BlackAutoload said:
I like the soft hookup.
(No metal contact to the vehicle. Endless loops and 8 point )
towman33 said:
No flames yet this is our first emission truck putting here through the paces to she how she hold's up so far so good first 10,000 in the book's. Plan to do the flames drop bumper and a big old bow tie visor in the spring. as for the hook up thank's for the comment had to be extra careful with this one as she is going to auction hoping to bring some good number's don't know how many mirror's it's gonna cross but put the show on as far as the hook up customer was beyond pleased with the care that was taken I was happy I got the green light to play and not rush, all and all a very good experience!!!

Topic created by Motiv8td in Aug of 2013:
Since you guys post up some pretty cool rides, I thought I'd throw in one of our own.
A.T.R.I Med/HD # 473-2013
WM 4/5 #140048
Smith System - Driver Trainer
towman33 said:
That is cool as hell very nice!!! IDK if it's 4.2 cool though.
Raddamant said:
That's insanely cool.
Not to deviate too much, just wondering if you bought special insurance for this tow?
Motiv8td said:
Likely. Our GM is sharp as a tack and I believe his background is insurance litigation. My management team in general is top notch which actually helps make my job easier.
hoover said:
It actually sold for 4.6 million at Barret Jackson
Motiv8td said:
That's what I thought. There were some reports that it was only 4.2. Since I'm not the one who ponied up the dough, I wasn't exactly sure. Our GM has it posted on our Facebook as 4.2 million as well. Either way, still cool to see it one of our trucks instead of a competitor.
TOM JR said:
Doesnt get much cooler than that.

BEAUMONT — A tow truck driver who was left pinned underneath a vehicle after he was struck Thursday afternoon, Jan. 17, was eventually pulled from under the vehicle, fire officials have reported. The crash happened on Beaumont Ave., south of California Ave., in Beaumont.
The victim had been in the process of loading a disabled vehicle on a flat-bed tow truck when another car plowed into the stranded sedan and tow truck. He was hospitalized with moderate injuries after the collision.
CHP and other emergency personnel were first alerted to the accident shortly before 1 p.m., after receiving reports of a tow truck driver who had been hit by a vehicle and was pinned underneath.
When officials arrived they found one victim trapped and pinned under the vehicle that had struck him and the vehicle he was loading onto the tow vehicle. Firefighters quickly used specialized equipment to lift the vehicle off the trapped victim and freed them. AMR then transported the person to an area hospital.
“Firefighters extricated one victim who was pinned under a vehicle,” CalFire/Riverside County Fire Department said in a social media release on Twitter. “The victim was transported to an area hospital by ground ambulance with moderate injuries.”
While firefighters worked at the scene, CHP called for the temporary closure of Beaumont Ave., between California Ave. and 1st St. The roadway was reopened around 1:30 p.m.
CHP is investigating the cause of the accident and their investigation is ongoing.
RESOURCE LINK

Topic created by BigBen835 in June of 2007:
Just tryin' to get home. After a couple of beers, and navigating home, or what he thought was home. The driver of this ranger found this DNR trout stocking pond in the middle of the night. The next morning the land owner saw the tire tracks going across her lawn and walked out and saw this truck in her pond. No one inside and a pile of wet clothes and beer cans next to the bank. Sheriff's dept called for the crane thing to remove it. Dad and driver showed up to pull it out with his pickup with his trusty tow strap while I was setting up. Deputy- "Son, I ve got a couple of questions for you. Why don't you step over here for a minute." Dad was not too impressed either. Didn't want to get too close to edge, and bank was already tipped in. Everyone needs just a little more stick now and then. But we got it done.
Canadiantowman said:
i bet you that s the largest fish to come out of that pond, nice job.
TOwBoY88 said:
You guys have some nice equipment.
Thanks for the pics.